Folding partitions for crates.



K. FUKUMURA.

FOLDING PARTITIONS FOR CRATES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN-25,1915.

1,174,844. Patented Mar. 7, 1916.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

M ii;

artments to revent bruisin or breaka e on the line H of Fig. 3; Fig. 5 is a plan theywi1l present elastic sides against which the rrio.

KAMEKI FUKUMUBA, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

FOLDING PARTITIONS FOB CRATES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 7,1916.

Application filed January 25, 1915. Serial No. 4,253.

" To all whom it may concern will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in compartment cases which are adapted for the transportationof eggs or other frangible or perishablesubstances.

- The object ofthe invention is to provide an egg crate with simply constructed collapsible partitions constructed to form when in operative position, elasticwalls for cushioningthe articles carried inthe comthereof during transportation.

Another object. is to provide improved means for connecting the partitions so that 5v they will be reliably held inopen operative position and yet permit them to readily fold when collapsed. With the above and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel fea-' tures of construction, combination and ar scribed and claimed.

In the accompanying clrawmgsz-Frgure 1 represents a perspective view of a portion 5 of a crate, with the partitions constructed in accordance with this invention and shown in open position; Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof'with the partitions in open position; Fig. 3 is a top plan view of a portion thereof; Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken view of a portion of a crate with the parti-' tions partially folded; Fig. 6 is a detail perspective vie wof one of the partitions; Fig. 7 is a similar view of one of the intersecting partitions which are designed to extend at right angles to those shown in Fig.6.

The compartments are made of strips of cardboard or other suitable material crossing each other at right angles as shown at 1 and 2. These strips are fitted'to cross each other in pairs, each two parallel strips which form a side of one of the compartments being sufiiciently far apart sothat surfaces. upon all eggs or-other'art-icles rest and by which the separated articles are prevented from pressing against or bruising each other and also to admit arti cles or" different and irregular sizes. These compartments or cells 3 are made of any size suitable for the articles to be conveyed, being preferably of a size to receive an egg and firmly retain it against wabbling.

As shown, the compartments 3 are formed by pairs of cardboard strips 4; and 11, the strips 4c being provided on their opposite edges with a plurality of longitudinallyspaced recesses 5 and 5' which may be of any desired configuration. being here shown semi-hexagonal inform, thereby providing taperingsupports 6 and 6 disposed on their opposite edges, the ends of which are cut off and arranged in alinement to adapt them to-efliciently engage supporting surfaces such as the bottom of a box or a horizontal partition arranged between the compartments, the supports 6-as here shown, being designed to rest on a supporting surface. and those 6 at the opposite edge, be-

ing designed to support a horizontal partition disposed above them.

Opening downwardly from the recesses 5 at the upper edge of the strips 4: are substantially diamond shaped recesses 7 having tongues 8 projecting upwardly from the lower walls thereof, said tongues being here shown in the form of arrow heads having laterally extending downwardly curved hooks 9 formed at the base of the heads and arranged opposite the widest portion of the I recesses 7 and which are designed for interlocking engagement with slots formed in the strips which intersect the strips i as will be hereinafter further described. As shown, the free ends of these tongues 8 project substantially flush with the bottoms of the recesses 5 in the upper edges of the strips l.

The solid portions 10 of the strips which are disposed between the diamond shaped recesses 7 thereof, are of a width substan- I tially equal to the width of an ordinary sized hens egg but it is obvious that the Width of these portions may be varied, according to the articles which are to be shipped in the crates, of which they form a art.

The strips 11 which are designed to intersect the stri'ps at .right angles when arranged in operative position, are here shown eachprovided in its .upper ..and

lower edges with semi-hexagonal recesses 12 and 12 of the 82111188126 as the recesses 5 r and 5 of the striped and disposed the same the same size and shape as the supports .6. of the striped, and similar-supports 13 are-formed between the recesses 12 in the lower edge-0t the strip 11. Upwardly and inwardly inclined slots l i, and 15 are formed in the lower edge of each strip 11 extending from the inner ends of the straight inner wall of the semi-hexagonal recesses' l2' thereof, said slots 14-. and 15 thus, converging toward their inner ends and thereby'forming depending tongues 16 which have downwardly and outwardly inclined side edges with the, corners thereof beveled to, facilitate theirengagement with the cooperating strips 4;. By so forming the slots 14' and 15, the tongues ,ltirare produced with-enlarged free ends which form spacing members for two of the adjacentfparallel rstripsgwhich are designed-to be mounted in said slots 14 and 15; and'which when assembled forcethe-lower edgesofsaid pairsof strips apart and cause their upper edgesto} converge as shownin-Fig. 4 to assist in forming cells 3 which conform to the shape of an eggwhen the eggs, are disposedtherein with their small ends down, in which way they are usually packed,

' Slots 1'? and 18 are disposed between the solid portions 20. of each strip andexte'nd transversely ofjsaid strip, substantially in alinement, with the slots 14 and 15, formed in the lower edgethereo f,'said-slots 17 and 18. being spa-cedslightl-y from the inner ends of the openslots $14: and 15 and which are designed to receive the hooks, 9 of the tongues .8 of the strips 4 when said strips t and 11 are assembled. The strips 19 between the, slots 17 and 14 and l8and 15 respectively, are slightly shorter in length than the shank of the tongues. 8, between theirbases and the hooks 9 thereof tov facilitate the connecting and disconnecting; of the'stripsj-L and 11. a

In assembling thestrips to form the va rious: compartments 3., a plurality of strips 4: are arrangedin pairs-and are connected by means ofthe'strips 11 which cross them in planes atright, angles and have the slots 14 and '15, thereof passed downwardly into opposite sides of. the recesses 'Zjbetween the hooks 9 of the tongues 8 and the adjacent side walls of said recesses and are lowered until-the inner ends of the slQtfs; 14: and 15 engagethe innerendsof the recesses; 7 and when: in; thisspcsitionr theslots and;

Disposed between the of the strips 11 are disposed opposite the hooks 9 of the tongues 8" and said hooks tively to each other to provide for the'col lapsing of the partitions or strips when the crate is to be folded for storage or for returning them to theyowner after the con} tents have been sold or disposed of. WV-hen thesestrips are assembled as above described,

spring through'saidslots and interlockingly v it will be'obvious that the tongues- 8, W l.

space, the pairs of longitudinal parallel 7.

strips 11 from each other a distance. equal to the widthof the base of the ton ue a d th tongues 16 of the stripsll W ll pace-the strips l apart a distance equal to-the; width of the free end-of thetongues 1 'and'thLiS provide, elastic. cushioning wallsp-for the yield" slightly to, prevent the contents therer Compartments 3. so .thatpthe'seywallsf,willa otfrom-being crushed .orjammed, and also to-accommodate irregularity inith'e articles disposed therein; .The, converging, side Walls at the outer ends ofthe recesses-7 en;

gage the upper portions oflthe pairs of strips -11 and thusforce their-lower: edges 7 apart to. adaptthe-parti ions formed byt e pa rs of strips l-lto cooperatewiththe'in: tersecting pairs of strips 4 tofo'rmthe eg shaped cells 3awhich are smalleratftheir bottomsand flare toward their upper ends vi forthe above described purpose, The recesses' 5, and 5- formed in, the strips 4t and the recesses 12 and 12 formed in'thestrips 7 11, provide'ventilating spaces for the free circulation of-air through the crate between;

the supports which are disposedabove and belowthese partiti'ons.- To disassemble the strips for anypurpose, the strips 11 arejinclined: outwardly to disengagethe slots 17 and 18' from the hooks 9 of thetQDg-ues 8" an i t n -meyt n e m e y 'sl ppe l upwardly out, 0 the Sl ts or: recesses formedat the, opposite sides of these tonguesr From the above description, it will be-obvious that d after these cooperating strips Land 11 have been assembled as above described,they may be readily collapsed-or folded by swinging the, strips: 11 on the strips 4, whereby they are positioned substantiallyin superposed r l i n,- ide y sid with, the tapered. sup-'- ports ofthe respectivestrips and recesses between them, arranged substantially in alinement as is shown in-Fig, 2.

V I, claim as my invention :L

.A crate comprising compartments formed of: double longitudinally parallel strips hav ing recesses init s opposite edges with-trun: cated" taperlng supports arranged therebee tween, the recesses n 'oneof, said edges-ex:

tending transversely of thestrip and having 7 a t ngue; in tbei formnefan, arrowhead s-en ai s tweeileieeeewe tet the same, corresponding double longitudinally parallel strips having recesses in their opposite edges with truncated tapering sup ports arranged therebetween, said last named strips having longitudinally spaced pairs of transversely extending opening slots, said pairs of slots converging inwardly from either end of said recesses, pairs of closed slots arranged substantially in aline- 10 ment with said openslots for interlocking engagement with the arrow head tongues on the first mentioned strips when said strips are disclosed in intersecting planes.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing wit- 15 Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

- Washington, D. 0. i 

